Drones now doing business in the skies above you

Drones, once known as weapons of war, are undergoing a dramatic makeover as a hot new business tool in the sky. But, as with unmanned military craft, domestic drones are prompting concerns over safety and privacy.

Drones, once known as weapons of war, are undergoing a dramatic makeover as a hot new business tool in the sky. But, as with unmanned military craft, domestic drones are prompting concerns over safety and privacy.

No agency tracks how many drones are now buzzing overhead. But it’s likely hundreds a day hit the skies nationally on commercial missions, equipped with video cameras and launched by entrepreneurs looking for faster, cheaper and easier ways to provide services.

The new breed of small domestic drones – known more formally as “unmanned aviation systems” or “remotely piloted aircraft” – can sell for $1,000 to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on size and sophistication. Users say operating the remote-controlled, spider-like craft costs far less than hiring a helicopter or plane, and allows users to fly into tight spaces, including indoors.

“Drones are the future of aviation,” said Patrick Egan, a Sacramento, Calif.-based consultant and an advocate for unmanned commercial craft. “It is already here. They are around you. And they are flying and doing jobs; you just weren’t aware of them.”

There is a hitch, though: Federal policy prohibits the commercial use of drones. The Federal Aviation Administration requires that commercial flights use certified aircraft and licensed pilots. Low-altitude use of drones by hobbyists is allowed, as are some research projects that use the technology.

That commercial ban appears to be only temporary. Congress has given the FAA until September 2015 to write an initial set of rules on how to safely allow unmanned, commercial aircraft into U.S. airspace.

For now, FAA officials say, they’re sometimes issuing verbal warnings when they learn of drones being used for profit. A spokesman said the agency has sent about a dozen “cease and desist” letters. A Michigan florist recently said the FAA told him to back off plans to deliver Valentine’s Day flowers via drone. A Minnesota brewery also stopped delivering beer to ice fishermen after FAA officials saw a YouTube video the company aired, according to media reports.